Pandemic muffles the music of musicians
The members of local orchestras commonly known as band parties in Tangail have been passing hard days as the number of programmes in which they are invited to play their musical instruments has reduced drastically since the outbreak of coronavirus pandemic.
The poor people from the community, however, did not receive any supports from any quarter, including from the government, during the whole crisis period.
The band parties are important part of the Bengali culture and tradition like Jatra, Theatre, Baul Song, Palagan, and Songjatra where the orchestras play an integral role.
Besides the cultural events, the band parties also perform in various social and religious programmes. Their participation is also a must in different joyous festivals, including puja and marriage of the Hindus.
The band parties use traditional musical instruments like Drum, Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Saxophone, Bassoon, Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, Baritone, Tuba etc.
Meanwhile, over one thousand members (from Muslim community) of around 100 band parties remain in the district. Several hundred families living at different places in the district are still keeping their ancestral profession alive.
Although, the participation of band parties makes any events, programmes or festival more joyous, the life of the poor members of the band parties is full of woes.
People of the community mostly live at Hamidpur in Ghatail upazila, Singuria in Bhuanpur upazila, Narandia in Kalihati upazila and Santosh in Sadar upazila. A number of them also live at different places in other upazilas in the district.
Of them, around 100 families live at Bayanpara at Hamidpur area under Digor union in Ghatail upazila. Senior members of the families said they have been living in the area for the last over 200 years.
During a recent visit in the area, it was seen that around 100 families of the band parties living in a congested place--situated on around 100 decimals of land-- with worn-out structures made with corrugated iron sheet in an unhygienic environment and lack of proper sanitation facilities. The area of 100 decimals where the community people live, 66 decimals are owned by them while 35 decimals are government khas land.
While talking to the correspondent, veteran Doraj Ali Nargachi, 76, leader of a band party who plays Clarinet, said the members of the band parties are very poor. None of them made are so much solvent with the scanty income. However, they are still clinging to their ancestral profession as they do not know any other works.
"Normally we get work for about six months in a year. We perform at different programmes in exchange of some money. On the rest six months, the party members do various works like ferrying medicines for killing rat, ant and cockroach at rural markets and pulling rickshaw vans for living."
However, all kinds of programmes have remained suspended due to outbreak of corona virus and the government imposed restriction and lockdown, curbing the income of the members of the band parties, he said.
"We the people of Bayanpara had got a package (rice and other items) after the lockdown was imposed last year. Later, none provided us with any support during the crisis period," he added.
Shafiqul Islam Nargachi, 34, a flute player and leader of another band party and also a resident of Bayanpara, said that he and other members of his band party have been passing hard days since the outbreak of the coronavirus due to lack of works.
"We were hired in three Hindu marriage ceremonies during the last Bangla month of Ashar but later the contract was cancelled due to the lockdown," he said.
Shafi, father of two children said, "as we are artists, we can't beg anything to others."
Not only Daraj and Shafi but also Joad Ali Nargachi, Ahammad Ali Bhandari, Hazrat Ali Nargachi and Apon Dhuli Nargachi from the community in the area echoed the same while describing their woes during the corona virus situation.
They stated that none of the local government officials or public representatives came to them with any kinds of support during the pandemic.
They said that their income is also shrinking due to the invasion of the modern musical instruments.
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